This invention is generally concerned with a mailing machine including an inking cartridge and a removably mountable postage meter, and more particularly with a mailing machine including an inking cartridge which is movable by the postage meter when the meter is mounted on the mailing machine.
This Application is related to the following concurrently filed, U.S. patent applications filed by the same inventor, i.e. David Privin, and assigned to the same assignee: Ser. No. 07/703315 for a Mailing Machine Having A Disposable Inking Cartridge, Ser. No. 07/703315 for an Inking Cartridge.
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,517 for Inking Apparatus For A Mailing Machine, issued Oct. 6, 1987 to Arnold Fassman and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, there is disclosed a mailing machine which includes a base, and includes an inking cartridge and postage meter which are removably connectable to the base. The inking cartridge includes an ink impregnated roller, known in the art as a reservoir roller, and the base includes an ink impregnated roller known in the art as a transfer roller. When the inking cartridge is connected to the base, the reservoir roller is disposed in rolling engagement with the transfer roller and, assuming the postage meter is mounted on the base, when the mailing machine is operated, the meter's printing drum rotates into engagement with the transfer roller for transferring ink therefrom to the printing drum as the reservoir roller replenishes the ink supply of the transfer roller. In order to locate the postage meter in sufficiently close proximity to the transfer roller to permit the transfer of ink therefrom to the printing drum, the meter and base are complementarily configured for guiding the meter to a predetermined position on the base wherein the meter is disposed in close proximity to the transfer roller. As a result, in the course of mounting the meter on the base, it is substantially impossible to prevent the meter from contacting the ink transfer roller and smearing ink therefrom on to the meter. To cure this problem, Fassman discloses the provision of a cam member, coaxially connected to and pivotable about the opposite end journals of the transfer roller, which has cam surfaces radially extending beyond the outer periphery of the ink transfer roller. In the course of mounting the meter on the base, the meter engages and moves the cam, and thus the transfer roller, away from the meter to prevent ink from the transfer roller from being smeared on to the meter. Accordingly:
an object of the invention is to provide improved letter processing apparatus; PA1 another object is to provide a mailing machine with an inking cartridge which is movable by the meter in the course of mounting the meter on, and dismounting the meter from, the mailing machine; and PA1 another object is to provide a mailing machine, which includes a postage meter removably connectable thereto, with an inking cartridge which includes a transfer roller and includes structure which is engaged by the meter for moving the inking cartridge, and thus the transfer roller, away from the meter when the meter is mounted on, and dismounted from, the machine.